Comeback hero Caleb Navale ‘proud’ of super quick return from ACL rupture

Manly’s comeback kid Caleb Navale has revealed how lessons from his father’s rollercoaster career helped fuel the second fastest return from an ACL rupture on record.

Navale scored a try with his third touch against Newcastle on Saturday, six months after rupturing his ACL in a final training session before pre-season trials.

His Sea Eagles comeback came after just one game in NSW Cup, taking the 23-year-old from the heartache of an ACL rupture to playing again in just 186 days.

“It does kind of give me a bit of pride with the way it’s all played out,” Navale told AAP.

“Obviously ACL is a big scary term. I thought I was done, this season would be a write-off and best case was starting pre-season at the end of the year.

“Everything had been lining up perfectly and I was ready to rip into the trials. Then for it to happen that way in the last session, it was devastating.”

Navale’s return was the quickest since David Kidwell for South Sydney in 2007, according to respected physiotherapist Brian Seeney on his NRL Physio page.

The World Cup with Fiji is also now in his sights, having set himself that goal in 2022.

Navale has had players from other teams reach out, asking for advice on his return.

The lock believes part of it was luck, given he did not tear his medial ligament or any other tendons. He also believes genetics and being only 23 helped.

A message to never take anything for granted also drove him, with his father Eparama having spent years ruing mistakes in his own career.

A Fijian rugby sevens representative, Eparama was brought to Australia as a youngster and played 17 games for Parramatta and the Northern Eagles.

“He made a couple of mistakes and still wishes he did things different,” Navale said.

“He never had guidance outside of footy. He made the wrong decisions. He was straight out of Fiji without his parents and didnt’t realise he could set himself up.